


Happily Ever...

by Brenda



Series: Prince Charming [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Anal Sex, Banter, Bisexual Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Blow Jobs, Bucky's Kid Is Far Too Adorable, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Marriage Proposal, POV Bucky Barnes, POV Steve Rogers, Unrepentant Fluff, Wedding Fluff, dad!bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:58:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8059009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brenda/pseuds/Brenda
Summary: Coda fic for Prince Charming - Do we really need an excuse for more Steve and Bucky being ridiculously happy and adorable and schmoopy together? No, no we do not:Part One - Wuv, Twu Wuv (Or, Steve Meets Eddie)Part Two - So Tweasure Your Wuv (Or, The World's Most Unromantic Proposal)Part Three - That Bwessed Awwaingement (Or, Tony Crashes The Wedding)Part Four - That Dweam Wifin A Dweam (Or, The Most Romantic Wedding Night Ever)





	1. Wuv, Twu Wuv

**(A month after part 16 - five months BEFORE the epilogue)**

 

Someone was watching him.

Steve came to slow, groggy awareness by degrees – he was in bed, lying on soft cotton sheets – a contrast to the hard, muscled body plastered against his own. He blinked the clouds and grit from his eyes until the world around him came into soft-lens focus. Pale sunlight was pouring in from the tiny openings in the blinds from the window, hazing everything in the room in gentle watercolors. Bucky's arm, a colorful swirl of stars in all shapes and sizes, was thrown carelessly across Steve's chest, all of the ink a marked contrast to the gold dusting of Steve's own skin. One of Bucky's legs was draped over Steve's, pretty much pinning him where he was, and Bucky's hair was also ticking Steve's cheek, a dark fan hiding most of Bucky's face. His breathing was nice and deep and even, body relaxed. 

But, the feeling of being watched persisted. And the dogs normally went for Bucky's side of the bed first, nuzzling and whining until Bucky or Steve – most times both – caved in and got up to feed them and take them for their morning run.

Steve slowly craned his head to the other side of the bed. Eddie Barnes, with tousled brown curls that matched his sleepy brown eyes, was standing next to the bedside table, with Cap and Winter both sitting patiently on either side of him. The dogs' soft pants seemed very loud in the early morning stillness.

Right, Eddie, his fuzzy mind supplied. Who was spending the long weekend with Bucky. Steve was supposed to have gone to the Burbank airport with Bucky yesterday to pick Eddie up, but shooting had run stupidly behind schedule, and Steve hadn't even made it to Bucky's place until almost midnight. By then, both father and son were asleep, and Steve had just crawled in under the covers and pulled Bucky to him. He figured Bucky would take care of the formal meet and greet in the morning.

But here Eddie was, cradling a well-loved stuffed rabbit to his small chest, and staring at him like he was an interesting bug on a stick.

Then Eddie's lips pursed in a contemplative frown. "Cap and Winter are hungry," he stated, in a high-pitched, but very serious, voice.

"Um?" Steve blinked up at him, unsure of what he was supposed to say. They hadn't even been properly introduced yet. He was lying in bed with Eddie's father, both of them pretty much naked. Well, Steve was _definitely_ naked, and Bucky was only in a pair of boxer briefs. "Okay?" he finally ventured, his voice creaky with sleep.

Eddie nodded, like Steve's response was perfectly acceptable. "They want pancakes. With blueberries," he helpfully added.

"Oookay," he said again, scrubbing at his face, willing the blood to circulate and the synapses to start firing. He was never at his best first thing in the morning. "Blueberry pancakes? And...you want me to make them for you?" At least, that was what he thought Eddie was asking.

"Mmhmm. Dad said it was okay to start breakfast without him if he was asleep. He _also_ said to let you sleep in, but I'm not supposedta be in the kitchen by myself." Then Eddie beamed a gap-toothed smile at him, pleased with his cleverness. Seeing it was like tilting his face up to the midday sun and soaking in pure warmth; Eddie smiled just like his father.

And Steve tumbled head over heels into it, _just_ like he had with Bucky.

"Um...okay." He'd been around Peter often enough to have figured out what Eddie was actually telling him – _I'm bored and hungry, feed me, entertain me_ – but there was still the small matter of him not being sure if Bucky wanted Steve hanging out with his kid without him around. "I should probably wake your dad..."

Eddie scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Why? He's a grumpy bear in the morning."

Grumpy bear. Oh, Steve was never _ever_ letting Bucky hear the end of that one. 

"True, but he's normally better after coffee," he said, because someone had to defend Bucky, since Bucky wasn't awake enough to do it himself. Almost like he was saying thank you, Bucky let out a soft snort, and snuggled in closer to Steve, his lips brushing the back of Steve's neck. Steve relaxed into it, and patted Bucky's arm.

"Are you gonna get up or not?" Eddie asked, as if sensing he was about to lose Steve to the more attractive prospect of dozing in Bucky's embrace.

Screw it – Bucky would have never asked Steve to stay the weekend if he didn't trust Steve to be around Eddie. And it was just breakfast. He could do pancakes, right? They couldn't be that hard. Google or YouTube had to have some sort of tutorial or recipe.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it," he said, and pressed a soft kiss to Bucky's hair. Although it did take him a minute to gently extricate himself from Bucky's hold. 

He paused right before sliding out from under the sheet. There was still the small matter of the fact that he was, well, not wearing anything. "Um, how about I'll meet you in your room in five minutes?" he said. "I need to brush my teeth." Which, speaking of... "Have you brushed yours, yet?"

"Dad says I don't have to when I stay with him."

Eddie said it with a completely straight face, but Steve had dealt with both his godson and child actors on set before, and he also knew Bucky took his parental responsibilities very seriously. "Nice try, kid, but I'm not buying it. Go brush your teeth, okay?" He put the question at the end of it, not wanting to overstep his boundaries, but Eddie just grinned again at him.

"I like you," he declared, then turned, three-and-a-half feet of mischief dressed in Spiderman footie pajamas. "C'mon Cap, c'mon Winter." 

The dogs scampered dutifully after him out of the bedroom and down the hall. Steve took another minute to collect his bearings and finish waking up, then went to the bathroom. When he came out, he pulled on the first pair of sleep pants he found that were clean – judging by the way they were loose at the hips and thighs, they were probably Bucky's – and a crew tee from the last TV show he'd worked on. Eddie was leaning against his bed when Steve stepped into the room, still wearing his PJs and holding onto one of the rabbit's paws. 

When he saw Steve, he tipped his head back and opened his mouth wide for inspection. Steve gave them a cursory glance – everything looked fine to him – and sniffed. Eddie smelled like a mixture of bubblegum and mint, so Steve supposed he really had brushed his teeth. "Looks good to me. Two thumbs up." 

"'Kay." Then Eddie scrambled up on the bed and stood and held out his arms. "Piggyback."

Steve lifted an eyebrow. "Was there a question in there?"

Eddie shook his head, curls bouncing. "Nope."

Adorable, Steve thought, charmed. "You're lucky you're cute."

"Yep," Eddie agreed, all smiles.

"Yeah, alright, hop on." Steve turned and bent at the knees so Eddie could glomp onto him, arms and legs wrapped tightly in place. The rabbit dangled from Eddie's fingers, looking up at Steve through beady glass eyes.

Steve straightened, securing Eddie to him, and started out of the room. "Does your friend have a name?" he asked, giving a half-nod to the rabbit.

"Judy."

Of course. Steve remembered Bucky telling him about Eddie's love for _Zootopia_. "That's cool. My godson loves Judy Hopps, too."

"How old is he?" Eddie's breath was hot in his ear. Tickled like hell.

"He turned five a few months ago."

"Cool. What's his name?"

"Peter," Steve said, walking into the kitchen. Cap and Winter were standing at their food bowls, giving Steve their best pitiful looks. Winter even whimpered at him all quiet, like barking was beyond his depleted energy levels. Honestly, the dogs were both better actors than some _actual_ actors Steve had worked with.

"Peter like Peter Parker?" Eddie asked, squirming against Steve's back in excitement. "Like _Spiderman_?"

"I don't know, maybe. I've never seen him and Spiderman in the same room, so it's possible."

" _Cool_." 

Steve thought about asking Eddie if he wanted to get down, but it wasn't like he weighed all that much, and Steve figured he may as well get coffee going and the dogs fed before he started trying to figure out how pancakes worked.

He ground the beans then set the coffee machine to brew, and opened the cabinet with the dog food. Instantly, Cap and Winter started barking and hopping in circles around him and Eddie, like they were cheering him on or maybe directing him, Steve had no idea. When Steve filled each bowl, they both fell into it like they'd never eaten before, both making contented grunting sounds.

"What'm I supposed to call you?" Eddie asked, when Steve was refilling their water dish with fresh water.

"Um...whatever you want, I guess," he replied, setting down the bowl. Eddie took the opportunity to slide down his back and hop to the floor.

Then he stared up at Steve, a thoughtful look on that young, gamine face. "Weeeellllll, I call my stepdad Uncle Daniel."

Jesus. He was so not awake enough for this conversation. He needed coffee – all the coffee. "Um, yeah, that's great, but I'm not married to your dad, though." 

Although – and this wasn't anything he'd ever breathed aloud, not even to his closest friends – marrying Bucky was _totally_ his endgame. James Buchanan Barnes was it for him. His Wuv Twu Wuv, once in a lifetime partner, the person Steve wanted to make a life with and grow old with. But he wasn't going to rush into anything. First, he needed to get Bucky comfortable enough with the relationship so Steve could tell him how he felt. And _then_ he needed to ease Bucky into the idea of living together – preferably here, in the house where Steve had first fallen in love with Bucky, lying on the grass and watching the stars. And then, after an acceptable amount of time, he would bring up putting a ring on it, and making the arrangement permanent. 

"Okay," Eddie replied, unperturbed. "So...what then?"

Steve poured himself a big mug of coffee, and didn't reply until he'd had a nice, long sip. "You can call me Steve, I guess."

But Eddie was already shaking his head. "I like Stevie better."

 _Stevie_. To the best of Steve's knowledge, no one had ever called him that, even when he'd been Eddie's age. Wasn't he way too old for such a childish nickname? "Stevie, huh?"

"Yep." Those dark curls bounced when Eddie nodded, sharp and decisive. Judy's stuffed head bobbled forward too, like she was also in agreement. "You look like a Stevie."

"Stevie it is, then," Steve declared, because who was he to argue with a six year-old's version of logic. He turned to the cabinets. "Hey, I don't suppose you have any idea what goes in pancakes, do you?"

Eddie clambered into one of the chairs at the dining room table. "Dunno. Flour, I think. And...oh, there's eggs. We can call Mom," he added helpfully.

"Nah, I think we can figure it out without Peggy's help." Steve gave Eddie a smile that was returned ten-fold. Fuck, that smile was going to be the death of him. It was _just_ like Bucky's, only in a smaller face. "You want any juice or anything?"

Eddie nodded again, all enthusiasm, so Steve poured him a glass of OJ before grabbing his tablet and pulling up a recipe for blueberry pancakes. Seemed pretty simple, he thought, as he gathered all of the ingredients together on the counter. He let the dogs out to go burn off some energy in the back yard, and set about stirring all the dry ingredients together, then the wet ingredients, then mixing them all together.

"Dad says you're a di-rec-tor," Eddie said, carefully emphasizing all of the syllables. His feet kicked rhythmically against the legs of his chair. "What's a di-rec-tor do?"

"Uh, well, the simple answer is, I make movies and TV shows, but mostly, I just tell people what to do all day," Steve said. He put the tip of his finger in the runny paste, and gave an experimental lick. Maybe it needed a little more sugar. Or vanilla extract. 

"Cool," Eddie said, then twisted in his seat, his entire small _being_ brightening as he happily shouted: "Morning, Dad!"

"Mornin', buddy," Bucky said around a wide yawn, shuffling into the kitchen on leaden feet. He was bare-chested, but he'd pulled on a pair of sleep pants, and he'd managed to scrape his hair off his face into a stubby ponytail. He bent to brush a kiss to Eddie's curls, then ruffled his hair affectionately, before plastering himself to Steve's back, and snaking his arms around Steve's waist. "Mornin'."

"Good morning," Steve replied, turning to press a kiss to Bucky's temple. "Did we wake you?"

"Yeah, but only because your side of the bed was empty." Bucky yawned again, warm across Steve's neck, and nuzzled that same spot. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Stevie's making pancakes," Eddie stated, happily. "With blueberries."

"Blueberry pancakes, huh?" Bucky's voice was rough, amused, and spilling over with affection. He squeezed Steve's waist. "How'd my kid con you into pancakes?"

Steve shivered, and let out a quick breath. No x-rated thoughts while Bucky's son was in the room. "Uh, he asked?" 

"Typical." Bucky snorted out a laugh, then bussed a light kiss to Steve's unshaven cheek. "No wonder I love you so much," he said, and turned to head towards the coffeepot – 

– and every single part of Steve's body shut down. _No wonder I love you so much..._

"Buck...?" It was barely a croak. His lips felt practically glued together. He couldn't move his arms or legs and his heart was going a million miles a minute. _No wonder_ I love you _so much..._

"Hmm?" Bucky turned, cradling his mug, his look curious. No guile whatsoever in those storm-blue eyes.

"You..." Oh Jesus, oh _fuck_ , he was going to have a stroke right here in front of Eddie and traumatize him for life or something, but he couldn't stop shaking or staring or... "You love me?"

Bucky blinked slowly in confusion. "Well _yeah_ , of course I..." Then he seemed to rewind on exactly what he'd said, and he lowered his mug to the counter with a small thunk. "Is...is that okay?"

Dimly, Steve was aware that Eddie was sitting there, drinking his juice and watching them both with a rapt expression. But he couldn't stop looking at Bucky. Standing there with his bare chest and his bare feet and those tiny crinkles around his eyes and a soft, concerned expression on his face, like what he'd just said wasn't the best goddamn thing Steve had ever heard in his life.

"Yeah," he managed, finally able to get his limbs to work enough to stumble forward and grab at Bucky's hips. "It's more than okay."

Bucky came easily into his arms, his own hands sliding under Steve's shirt, each touch electric and honey-sweet. But he was still looking at Steve with that same concerned expression. "You're sure?" he asked, quiet.

Steve's heart had finally slowed, but now it felt like it was about to bust out from behind his ribcage. _This is happiness_ , he thought, with a wide, wild smile. _This is everything I've ever wanted in life._ Standing in a sun-drenched kitchen with the man he loved and his amazing and adorable family, with the scent of coffee and flour and vanilla hanging in the air. 

"I love you too, Buck. So _so_ fu–effing much." Then he sealed the vow with a soft kiss, Bucky all but melting against him. Steve cradled him close, rubbed his hands along Bucky's back and arms. Felt the scars under Bucky's tattoos, the raised skin and thin welts – proof of both Bucky's bravery and his survival. They were here, real and solid and together and Bucky _loved_ him. 

They didn't part until they heard the sounds of cough-gagging from the table. Bucky shook his head, gave Steve another quick kiss, then turned towards his son. "You okay there, kiddo? You drink your OJ too fast?"

Eddie sighed, and hunched his shoulders. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaad, you promised." It wasn't quite a whine, but it was riding super close to that edge. "No kissing."

Steve cleared his throat to hide his laugh while Bucky just raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I don't remember promising anything like that. Pretty sure I'd remember it, too."

"But it's _breakfast_." Yeah, that was totally a whine now. 

"Kissing is totally okay at breakfast," Bucky replied, and winked at Steve before brushing their lips together once, then twice. "Especially the I Love You kind of kisses. Those are the best kind." 

God, Steve loved him so much it was a wonder he wasn't bursting at the seams. "The very best," he agreed, certain his joy had to be physically manifesting itself somewhere in the room. There was far too much of it to be contained solely within his body.

"Hmmm." Eddie propped his chin in his hands and regarded them both. "Are you gonna kiss each other aaaaaall weekend?"

"Not constantly, but yes, we'll be kissing. A lot probably. I suggest covering your eyes if it gets to be too much for your delicate sensibilities."

"What's a del...deli...what's that?"

"Your feelings," Bucky told him, then he stepped out of Steve's hold and picked up his coffee mug. His smile was private, tender, and just for Steve. "You want any help with breakfast?"

"No," Steve said, returning the smile and the sentiment, his eyes brimming with gratitude and love. _Thank you. Thank you for trusting me with your heart and your son and your happiness. I won't let you down_. "I've got this."

***


	2. So Tweasure Your Wuv

**(A year AFTER Part 17)**

 

Summer was, by far, Bucky's favorite time of year for a multitude of reasons. For one, it was baseball season, and going to a game was pretty much the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon. For another, hot weather meant Steve walked around all the time in ass-hugging shorts and ribbed tank tops that showed off every inch of his impressive chest and arms – which was a little bit like having a private porn show, and Bucky was nothing if not an appreciative audience. Clint also started taking over the grill once the days got longer, which meant Bucky didn't have to cook as much, always a win-win. And the shop tended to pick up more business when it was nice out and people could show off more skin and, by extension, more tattoos and piercings. 

But the biggest reason summer was aces was that Eddie was able to come down to L.A. and stay with him for an entire month. 

Bucky hadn't been able to take the whole time off that Eddie was in town, although he'd done his best to arrange his schedule so he was done each day by early afternoon. But Steve had just wrapped post-production on the indie film he'd been shooting, and was in the middle of prepping for a major pilot for a TV show for CBS. Which meant he was either at the house taking calls, or was able to take Eddie with him when he had meetings at the studio, which meant Eddie could run around in the props department to his heart's content. To a curious and imaginative seven year-old, it was like Christmas and his birthday all rolled into one.

Today, though, the shop was closed, and Steve's schedule was clear of meetings, so Bucky and Steve were taking advantage by having a lazy morning at the house. Eddie had already eaten breakfast and was back inside with the dogs, but Bucky and Steve were still lounging at the patio table with their coffee and the last of the french toast and bacon Bucky had made. It was another gorgeous day out, the June gloom fog burning off into a robin's-egg sky and dazzling sunlight overhead.

The perfect day already, Bucky thought, and he and Steve were still unshowered and in pajama pants and tank tops. 

"So I got a pretty interesting phone call from my agent while I was at the WB lot yesterday," Steve said, after refilling both their coffee mugs.

Bucky looked up from his sketchbook with a curious smile. "Yeah?"

"Mmhmm." Steve was very studiously _not_ looking Bucky's way. "So, it looks like Netflix is picking up _Scarred Lines_."

"Netflix?" Bucky dropped his pencil, clattering, to the table. Steve had a distributor for the documentary. Steve had a _distributor_ for the documentary. "Holy shit, Steve."

Steve nodded once, quick, but didn't move otherwise. "They, uh, they want to screen it, too. Like, for Oscars eligibility."

"Holy _shit_." The legs of his chair scraped across the deck when Bucky stood, and tugged a very willing Steve into his arms. "That's...seriously, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you, babe."

Steve clutched at his back, and his laugh of relief was a little watery against Bucky's neck. "I would've called, but I know you had appointments all day, then Eddie, and I didn't want to tell you via text and then we were so busy last night and it just didn't seem like the right moment and..."

Bucky shut him up with a kiss. "We gotta celebrate," he murmured, cupping Steve's face in his hands. "This is fucking awesome. And good on Netflix for recognizing a good thing when they see it."

"I can't believe it's really happening," Steve said. "It hasn't sunk in yet that someone actually wants to give it a home, y'know?"

"Hey, you put a lot of really hard work into it. The only thing you should be is proud." Bucky was still amazed at how Steve had managed to get so many of Bucky's clients to open up to him on camera, and how he and his editor had been able to comb through all of that footage to find a story that was both compelling and entertaining. He still couldn't believe that Steve had taken what Bucky did for a living and made it seem like this...like this noble _pursuit_.

Steve gave him a sunny smile and kissed his nose. "Well, I had a lot of inspiration," he said, and laced their fingers together. "Thanks for saying yes."

"I should have known the day you brought up wanting to do it that I was into you way more than as a friend," Bucky said, walking with Steve the few steps over to the railing. "You were the first person I told about what happened to my arm in...fuck, years. And yet, here I was, giving you the whole story just because you _asked_."

"I was really honored." Steve kissed Bucky's knuckles, then ran a light touch along Bucky's bicep, tracing over the colorful ink and the raised scars underneath. "I was already crushing pretty hard on you, but after that...? Jeez, it was ridiculous how bad it got. Thor laughed at me constantly for the way I was mooning over you." 

"That's because Thor is a terrible person under all of the brains and brawn."

Steve shook his head. His eyes – bluer than the sky overhead – were soft as he looked at Bucky, and his lips were curved up slightly, amused and fond. "Thor introduced me to you," he said, brushing a few strands of Bucky's hair from his forehead. "Well, _properly_ introduced. I think he's allowed to laugh at me all he wants." 

Bucky had no idea what to do with all of the happiness inside him. Two years ago, he'd thought he'd found some measure of contentment in his life – he had a career he loved, his son was happy and healthy, his friends were a support and a comfort and all starting to settle down into adult relationships, and things were good. He'd had a good life. But then, Steve walked into his shop – walked back into his life – and rescued him all over again, just like he had that long ago day in Afghanistan. Filled his life up with laughter and companionship and the best sex _ever_ , and Bucky still wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve all of this, but he was never, ever letting go.

The words tumbled out of him, clumsy, rough around the edges, but heartfelt. "Hey, you wanna get married?"

Steve shrugged and leaned against the railing, lips pursed in thought. "Like, in a general, do I believe in the institution of marriage, or...?"

"Oh my God, you're such a dick." Bucky was so in love with him it felt like it would swallow him whole. "I meant, to _me_. I'm asking you if you want to marry me."

For a moment, Steve just stared at him like he couldn't comprehend the English language. Then he started to smile, soft and lazy, the sight of it sending the butterflies in Bucky's stomach soaring even higher. "Well," Steve drawled, "I was sort of holding out for a big proposal, maybe at another baseball game, us up on the Jumbotron for nostalgia's sake, maybe you could tie the ring to my baseball or something..."

That was...that was a yes, right? Holy...that _was_ a yes. Steve was saying _yes_ , wasn't he? Steve was...okay, this was happening.

But Steve wanted a big, public, grand gesture proposal apparently. And if that's what he wanted, then Bucky could do that, sure, whatever it took to make Steve happy. He crossed his arms with a thoughtful frown. "Well, I guess I could pull out all the stops, if that's what..." 

There had to be someone at Dodgers Stadium he could talk to about – 

"Jesus, your face." Steve snagged his hand and pulled Bucky into the circle of his arms. They slotted together easily, perfectly, warmth against warmth. "You really shouldn't make it so easy."

Okay, scratch the grand gesture proposal idea. Not like Steve _deserved_ one or anything.

"You are _such_ an asshole," Bucky stated, although the insult was lessened by the quick kiss he couldn't resist giving to those smiling, full lips. He was in love with a total dick. He couldn't be happier about it.

Steve shrugged, those absurdly-lashed eyes sparkling with life and affection. "Yeah, well, I'm the asshole getting ready to accept your terribly unromantic proposal, so I figure I get a pass."

"You...yeah?" Bucky asked, his heart in his throat. This was really happening. Holy _fuck_. "You're...is that a yes? Like, for real, a yes?"

" _Yes_ ," Steve told him – which was the best thing Bucky had maybe heard ever in his life – then he ran his hands under Bucky's tank top and along his spine, soothing and arousing in equal measure. "Like I haven't wanted to marry you from pretty much the first day we met. I just thought I'd be the one talking _you_ into it and not the other way around."

"Hey, I know a good thing when I've got it, too." Which he did – he really, _really_ did. 

They kissed, slow and easy, Steve's smell and taste so familiar now, blending in with Bucky's until they were one. Another perfect moment, crystalline and sparkling, another star to hang up in the constellation that was his life. 

Then a pint-sized cannonball plowed into them. They both looked down to see Eddie beaming up at them, clutching tight to their legs. "Hi Dad, hi Stevie, I love you guys," he said – well, more shouted than anything else – then went tearing down the steps and into the yard, with Cap and Winter nipping at his heels.

"Well, okay, then," Bucky said, bemused. "Love you too, buddy!" he called to Eddie's back, and received a war whoop in response.

Steve let out a quiet laugh, and let go of Bucky to rest his hip against the deck railing. "I wish I had his energy."

"You and me both," Bucky said, watching as Eddie rolled around on the grass and tried, very unsuccessfully, to avoid Winter licking at his face and Cap trying to worm under him. Although, to be fair, it wasn't like Eddie was trying _that_ hard to escape.

"He's an amazing kid," Steve said, glancing over at him. "You and Peggy have every right to be proud of the job you're doing."

Bucky was. He was so proud. Proud and terrified and nervous and _still_ sure he was somehow going to fuck this whole Dad thing all up, but he was going to do his best not to, because Eddie deserved nothing less. "You know, the first time I held him in the delivery room, I'm not sure who was crying more, me or him," he said, smiling at the memory. "Here was this tiny, perfect little being, minutes old and already he had so much personality, so much _life_. And every minute, I love him more than I thought it was possible to love anyone or anything. Raising him...making sure he grows up happy and loved and curious about the world...nothing else comes close."

" _Fuck_ , c'mere already," Steve said, voice thick, as he wrapped his arms around Bucky, his hold tight, but infinitely gentle. "You're... you're just so fucking amazing, you know that?"

"When I'm with you, I feel like it." Bucky felt the steady beat of Steve's heart, the solid press of his chest. The way Steve's lungs expanded and contracted with each breath, every one of them precious. "When you look at me like you are right now, _Jesus_ , Steve. You make me feel like I could do anything."

"You were amazing well before you met me," Steve argued, and how did Bucky get so lucky, to have this man, this day, this moment? 

"Yeah, so you keep saying," he replied, "but now I get to share it all with you, so it means more."

Steve pressed their foreheads together, and groaned. "You really need to quit it or I'm jumping your bones right here."

Bucky grinned into the kiss. "Well, we _are_ technically newly engaged, so I don't think anyone would blame you."

"With one impressionable kid and two excitable dogs twenty feet away."

Which, now was probably a good time to bring up his plans, Bucky thought. "All of whom are going elsewhere tonight."

Steve lifted his head. "What...?"

"You've been busy prepping for a four-week shoot in Atlanta, I've got a crazy couple of months of clients and conventions and another seminar ahead of me after Eddie flies home to his mother; it's gonna be a little while before we can get some actual time alone. So I made the decision to take tonight as a date night. Just me and you," Bucky said, with a quick kiss, pleased with himself for both keeping the surprise a secret and for the fact that tonight could now double as an engagement celebration. "Clint's coming by later to pick up the dogs, Nick and Maria are taking Eddie home with them for a sleepover with Peter, which Eddie is over the moon about..."

"You...really?" Steve asked, his brows furrowing. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend the time with Eddie?"

"Eddie's been _begging_ for a playdate with Peter," Bucky said. "So yes, really. And I've got _so_ many plans for you, so just say thank you already." 

Almost like Bucky'd willed it into being, Steve's cheeks pinkened in a delightful blush. "Well, I do love your plans."

"And I love _you_ ," Bucky said, nuzzling at Steve's jaw.

"You better."

"Hey, you're not the boss of me," Bucky replied, and his happiness was so palpable, it felt like it was spilling out of him in brilliant bits of starlight. "I do what I want."

"Just wait until Eddie starts using that line on you, then you won't think it's so funny," Steve said, and their kiss was unhurried and sweet and utterly perfect.

And really, everything about today was pretty much the best already, Bucky thought. So, why couldn't they add to it?

"What're you doing today?" Bucky asked, when they parted.

Steve lifted an eyebrow. "Um...I thought we were taking Eddie and the dogs to the park."

"Let's get married," Bucky said. 

Yeah, this was right. This was _exactly_ what they should be doing with their day.

Steve pulled back, frowning slightly. "Uh, you might've missed it, Buck, but I _did_ just say yes –"

"No, I mean, let's do it. Today. Right now, let's do it." Bucky was ready to head to the car and drive to a courthouse this very second, in fact.

"But...really?" Steve's gaze sought his, held. "You...but what about...Buck, your parents will _kill_ you if they're not at the ceremony."

"Nah, they had the big blowout with Becca's wedding, they're good. And we can fly out to see them after you wrap on the pilot, and let the old neighborhood throw us a party. They'd love that." Bucky thought they might prefer it, actually. Getting Steve and him to themselves, getting to show him and Steve off to everyone on the block. His mom would be thrilled about getting to host an epic shindig, especially if Bucky and Steve showed up with Eddie in tow. 

"But I don't want to wait," he continued, holding on tight to Steve's hips. Holding tight to _Steve_ , and all of the ways Steve made him a better person, just by virtue of his existence. "Not another year or month or day. I want to go to bed tonight calling you _husband_."

Steve grinned, looking delighted and pleased, the flush spreading to his neck. "Now _that_ was suitably romantic."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, it's a yes."

"Hey, Eddie!" Bucky called, not taking his eyes off of Steve – his husband-to-be, _Jesus_ , what a trip. "You okay with a slight change of plans today?"

"I dunno," Eddie replied. "What are they?"

"Well, Steve and I were hoping to get married today, and I was thinking it'd be nice if you were my best man." 

"Hmmm...do I hafta wear a suit?"

Bucky laughed, hooking his chin over Steve's shoulder to study Eddie, who was still sitting in the yard with Cap and Winter, wearing a now grass-stained Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt and brown shorts and his favorite red Converse, his hair a wild tangle of curls, his hands smudged with dirt and dog fur. "Nope. What you're wearing is perfect." 

In fact, he thought what all of them were wearing was perfect. 

"I _guess_ that's okay." Then Eddie's face scrunched in thought. "Can I still go to Peter's tonight?"

"Absolutely."

"Cool," Eddie replied, then pursed his lips. "Can Cap and Winter come with us? They like weddings."

Bucky exchanged an amused glance with Steve, then focused back on Eddie. "I think they might like staying here better and getting all pretty for the reception."

"Will there be cake? They could _probably_ stay here as long as there's cake after," Eddie added, and nodded for emphasis.

"Can't have a reception without cake," Bucky agreed, because, well, cake was pretty much the best thing about weddings, and everyone knew it.

"We're having a reception?" Steve asked, surprised.

Bucky just looked at him. "What, you don't want a party to celebrate our nuptials?"

"Of course I do, it's just...kinda last minute?"

If there was one thing Bucky knew without a shred of doubt, it was that his friends would drop everything they were doing, no matter what it was, to come over and commemorate the fact that he and Steve were tying the knot. He was pretty sure Nat would be the first to mutter _finally_ and Sharon would be right behind her. 

"Eh, the shop's closed today, so it's not like anyone has any appointments, and there aren't any conventions or anything going on either," Bucky said. "And Clint's already coming by to get the pups, so you know he'll jump at the chance to come invade the kitchen and create something amazing for us to all feast on. But I need to give him a lead time so he can prep or I'll never hear the end of it."

"You _really_ want to do this today?"

"I really fucking want to do this today," Bucky replied, rubbing a light kiss across Steve's lips. "I'm dead serious, Rogers. You're ending the day legally bound to me one way or another, even if we have to fly out to Vegas to do it."

"As long as we get sexy Elvis to marry us," Steve replied, with a wide grin.

 _God_ , he loved this man. This impossibly beautiful, incredible man, who lit Bucky's world up every single minute of every single day.

"Maybe when we renew our vows, we can have sexy Elvis."

"Deal," Steve said, with another smiling kiss. "So, where do we start?" 

"Uh, well, maybe you could hop online and find out what all we need to do, if we need blood tests and where we need to go for the license and who we can get to perform the ceremony and all that, and I can be on phone duty to let everyone know what's going on." He knew his entire circle of friends would know within an hour, tops. Which meant he also needed to call his mom and sister _before_ anyone else, otherwise he just knew they'd found out about it through Facebook or something. Which didn't bear thinking about.

Steve nodded, looking like he was already running through a mental to-do list, then he straightened, and stopped. A frown creased the skin between his brows. "What about rings?"

Rings. Shit. Yeah, that was gonna be...maybe they could stop somewhere...or, wait. Hold on. Hold the eff on.

Bucky smiled, relieved, and pressed a kiss to Steve's lips. "I've got my grandpop's ring – on my dad's side," he explained. "When gran passed, she left me their wedding ring set. His ring should fit you, but if we need to resize it, I know somewhere we can take it." 

Steve's gaze softened as he brought one of Bucky's hands up to kiss his palm. "I've got my parents' set," he said, in a low, thick voice. "It's...the box in the top drawer of my dresser."

Bucky squeezed Steve's fingers. "You sure you wanna give me your dad's ring? I don't mind not having one, if you wanted to wait to go shopping."

Steve didn't even hesitate. "No, I want..." He cleared his throat, his look softening. "It's been sitting in a box for way too long. It's time for it to be...used the way it was meant."

"Then, I guess we're good for rings," Bucky said, blinking back the sheen in his eyes. This was happening. They were going to make this happen. He and Steve were going to be married – fucking _married_ – today. 

Steve reeled him back in, parted his lips with a bold sweep of his tongue. "I love you," he murmured, in the hushed space between them.

Bucky just winked at him, and gave his best Harrison Ford impersonation. "I know."

"Oh my God, I'm marrying a nerd," Steve lamented, laughing.

"You sure are," Bucky replied, his return kiss nice and light. He couldn't fucking wait.

***


	3. That Bwessed Awwaingement

"You know, I thought the whole official part of this would be a lot more complicated," Bucky remarked, while they were sitting in the City Clerk's office and waiting for their number to be called. 

Steve glanced over at him, curious. He had a tight clasp on Bucky's hand, thumb slowly stroking across the pulse at Bucky's wrist. "How so?" 

"Well, I just...I mean, think about it. All it really takes to get legally married is filling out a form online and getting it witnessed and filing it with the city. And yet people stress out for months and years about it. I don't get it." To Bucky, getting married seemed like _the_ least stressful thing on the planet. He'd found someone he wanted to spend his life with, someone who felt the same way, so here they were, making it happen. And without all of the drama of bridesmaids colors and who was going to sit where during the reception.

Steve leaned over in his chair to press a light kiss to Bucky's lips. "I love the fuck out of you, you know that."

"Dad, Stevie said a bad language word!"

"He sure did," Bucky replied, biting back the smile. He glanced at Eddie, who was sitting on his other side, and giving them both the eagle eye. "Stevie, you have something you wanna say to Eddie?"

"Sorry, Eddie," Steve muttered, elbowing Bucky in the ribs. Not that it stopped Bucky from laughing at him, of course. God knew he'd gotten yelled at enough by Eddie over his sailor's mouth.

" _Ac_ -cepted," Eddie said, then went back to playing Racing Penguin on his iPad.

"You're about to be an official step-dad, you know," Bucky said. "You need to start setting a better example."

Eddie's head popped up again. He gave Steve a calculating look. "Does that mean I can _finally_ call you Uncle Stevie now?"

Steve swallowed, and glanced at Bucky, who just shrugged, unconcerned. "What, don't look at me. That's between you and my son," Bucky said. "I'm not getting in the middle of it." He hadn't with Daniel and Eddie, and he wasn't about to now. His kid had great relationships – _independent_ relationships – with both Daniel and Steve, and Bucky wanted to foster both as best he could.

"Um..." Steve's ears were turning a dull shade of red. "Sure, Uncle Stevie is...fine? If you wanted to call me that?"

" _Cool_ ," Eddie replied, then bent back to his game again.

"Number 78!"

Bucky glanced down at the number clutched in his free hand. "We're up." He met Steve's beautiful blue eyes and, for a split second, the nerves skittered along his spine and jumped under his skin, leaving him momentarily frozen in place. They were doing this. They were _actually_ doing this. Bucky was walking out of this courthouse a married man.

Steve must've noticed the nerves, because he leaned in, breath tickling Bucky's ear, and murmured: "You know, we don't have to do this today." 

"I know we don't," Bucky replied, and took a breath to settle everything. Then he stood and re-laced his fingers in Steve's. "But I _want_ to."

"Okay, then. Let's do it," Steve replied, with one of his full, bright smiles, and let Bucky pull him out of his chair. Bucky honestly had been okay with them exchanging vows in jeans and flip-flops, but Steve had insisted on them dressing up a little bit. And Bucky couldn't deny that Steve looked amazing in the white polo and black slacks he was wearing. Bucky himself was in a short-sleeved grey henley and black jeans, with his hair scraped back into a neat ponytail at the base of his scalp. He'd even taken the time to shave, although he knew Steve was just as fond of the stubbled look. If he was going to make an extra effort to look nice, he may as well go all out.

Eddie paused his game and hopped to his feet. "You sure we can't go for ice cream after?" he asked, grabbing Bucky's other hand as they walked up to the counter. "We always have ice cream on special days."

"How do you know Clint won't have ice cream to go with the cake at the house?" Bucky asked, and smiled at Eddie's thoughtful hum.

"Hi," Steve said, taking the number tag from Bucky and giving it to the clerk, along with a printed copy of their marriage license. "We're, uh, here to get married."

"Oh thank God, I got here just in time," a new voice exclaimed, and they all turned. 

Tony was standing beside them as if he'd appeared by magic out of thin air, wearing a lilac tuxedo with a bright pink ruffled shirt. Which, what the _hell_? Why on earth was Tony at the Van Nuys courthouse? And why did he look like a bouquet of carnations had thrown up on him?

"Uh..." Bucky started, but Tony was already talking again.

"Traffic was a nightmare on the 101 and don't even get me started on the clusterfu- _eff_ that's Sepulveda," he said, shuddering, and then gave the clerk a bright grin, and plucked the marriage license out of her hand. "Hi there, how's it going. We'll be back to file this bad boy in a minute." 

Then he turned the smile onto Steve and Bucky. "Fellas, or should I say, happy couple-to-be, you're both looking appropriately groom-like. Hey, little man, what's shakin'?" he asked, and exchanged high-fives with a very amused Eddie.

"Tony, what're you..." Bucky gestured helplessly at Tony's outfit. "What're you doing here? And why are you dressed like a bad '80s prom night?"

"What, you thought I wouldn't throw on something festive for the occasion?" Tony asked, with a razor-sharp grin. "I'm ashamed, Barnes, truly, that you'd think so low of me."

"You look like Starburst candy," Eddie said.

"Which is _exactly_ perfect for today," Tony replied, then motioned at the small group. "Now come on, Banner's only got twenty more minutes before he has to be back in court."

"Who? What?" Bucky exchanged a lost look with Steve. "Tone, for real, what are you doing here?"

Tony sighed and grabbed both Steve and Bucky by the elbows and started to steer them and Eddie out of the room and towards the hallway. "Look, it's not every day that one of your best friends who happens to be your boss decides to get married, and you and the fiancé deserve better than a few canned words recited by some bored government stooge. So, after Clint texted with the happy news, I decided this would be my gift to you."

"You're not...you're not offering to officiate, are you?" Not that Bucky would be opposed to the idea, it was just...he wasn't sure how legally binding it would be, considering all of Tony's run-ins with the police and his arrest record and all.

But Tony just pshawed and continued walking down the hallway until they got to a closed courtroom. "No, I'm just here as a witness," he said, opening the door. "Banner'll be performing the ceremony...and here we are, Bruce, I found them!"

The judge sitting up on the podium looked up from the file he was reading, pushed his glasses up with a finger, and sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Bruce when we're in the courthouse?"

"Judge Banner is way too stuffy," Tony replied, and beamed at Bucky and Steve. "Barnes, Rogers, Eddie, meet my good friend Judge Bruce Banner. Who has graciously agreed to take time from his lunch break to officiate your ceremony."

"You found a judge to officiate for us?" Steve asked, surprised.

"You're _friends_ with a judge?" Bucky asked, even more surprised. 

Banner circled the bench and came to a stop in front of them. "He was in my courtroom so often it just sort of happened. Sort of like a reverse Stockholm Syndrome," he said, holding out a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," Bucky said, with a smile. Tony was friends with an elected official. A _judge_ , no less. This day was getting better and better by the minute.

"So," Banner said, once everyone had shaken hands, "I understand you two are looking to tie the knot?" 

"Yeah, we are," Steve said, gently nudging Bucky's elbow. "Finally wore him down."

"Wore _me_ down," Bucky scoffed. "Hey, buddy, _I_ asked _you_ , not the other way around."

Steve just pressed against him, solid and comfortable. "All part of my grand design."

"You see what I mean about them now, right?" Tony asked Banner, with an exaggerated sigh. "They're so sickeningly adorable they give the rest of us mere mortals a bad name."

"Maybe you should start taking notes," Banner suggested. "I'm sure Pepper would appreciate it." Then he smiled down at Eddie. "And you are...?"

"Eddie Barnes," Eddie supplied, with a small frown. "Where's your robe?"

"On the chair." Bruce gestured at the podium. "I don't wear it when I'm at lunch."

"Oh." Eddie looked disappointed.

"He's my son," Bucky said, putting his hand on Eddie's shoulder to pull him in for a loose embrace. "We read online that it was okay if a minor was a witness?"

"Yes, of course, as long as he can sign his name and knows why he's here," Banner said, and smiled at Eddie again. "You do know why you're here, right?"

"Sure," Eddie replied, with a big shrug. "Dad and Uncle Stevie are getting married. _Finally_."

Well, it looked like Natasha _wouldn't_ be the first person to say it.

"See, there you go." Tony looked around at the group expectantly. "So, are we all set, you guys need a minute, any last nerves you need to get out, any wild oats to sow...?"

"Nope," Bucky said, giving Steve a small smile. "Not a one." He was more than ready to do this.

"Uh, we have rings," Steve said, pulling a small velvet pouch out of his pocket. "Do we give them to you or...?"

Eddie held out a hand. "I can do it. I was a ringbearer, I know what to do," he said to Banner, with a decisive nod.

"Okay, then." Banner waited until Steve and Bucky gave Eddie the pouch, then directed them to stand facing each other, with Tony and Eddie on either side of them. "I should ask before we get started. Did you write your own vows or did you want to go traditional?"

"Uh..." Bucky hadn't actually thought about it, and he could tell from the look on Steve's face that he hadn't, either. "What do you think?"

Steve grabbed both of his hands, the touch gentle and warm. Always so warm. "I think I wanna get married to you, is what I think," he said, and the look in those blue eyes was one Bucky knew he'd never forget as long as he lived. Love, friendship, affection, and so much happiness he was luminous – a shining beacon that would always be the only home Bucky would ever need. "I think I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone, and I want to make a life with you and grow old with you, and as long as you want that, too, that's the only thing that matters to me."

"I really do," Bucky replied, in a thick voice. He was crying and he knew it, and didn't care. If you couldn't cry on your wedding day when you were marrying the love of your life, then what was the point? "You're it – the one I was waiting for." He squeezed Steve's hands, gave a watery smile that he hoped radiated all of the joy he was feeling. "You're my Westley and my Ripley all rolled into one person, and there's no one else I want by my side for the rest of my life."

Steve swiped at the tears on his own cheeks, then rested his forehead against Bucky's. "Nerd," he murmured, fondly.

Bucky just grinned. He had a feeling he was going to be doing a lot of that in the future. "As long as I'm _your_ nerd."

"Always," Steve promised, and hearing it – _knowing_ that Steve wanted this just as much as he did – was everything.

"You guys are doing this all backwards, you know," Tony remarked, and sighed. "But you even did that adorably, so screw you both."

"Okay, then, since we got the vows out of the way, let's just move on," Banner said, and maybe the ceremony was sort of out of order, but it suited Steve and Bucky just fine. Eddie performed his impromptu duties flawlessly, Tony only cried once, and Steve and Bucky couldn't stop smiling at each other the entire time. 

They were still smiling, sappy and besotted and _smitten_ (still a great fucking word, Bucky thought) when Banner pronounced them legally wed, and when they shared their first kiss as husband and husband. It was no different than any of the other hundreds of kisses they'd shared up to that point – Steve's lips were still dry and a little chapped and oddly soft, and he still tasted like mint and bottled sunshine – but Bucky could feel something deep inside him lock into place the second their lips touched.

They were married. 

"Steve, we did it," he said, bouncing on his toes a little, radiant energy vibrating through him. He wanted to go running down the hallways shouting that he'd hit the life-partner-slash-soulmate jackpot. Wanted to share this happiness with every single person he'd ever met.

"We sure did," Steve replied, sounding dazed and delighted. Then he leaned in for another soft kiss, and yeah, married kissing was _so_ much better than unmarried kissing.

They pulled apart, both of them grinning goofy and wide, and then Bucky looked down at Eddie, who was giving them a slightly bored look.

"You're not gonna yell at us for kissing each other?" Bucky asked. Normally Eddie was making gagging noises by now and asking them to knock it off.

"Nope," Eddie declared, curls bouncing as he shook his head. "It's okay if you kiss if you're married. Just not _too_ much."

And yet another benefit to married kissing. "Wish I'd known that was the rule. I would have done this months ago."

"I would have let you," Steve replied, and laced their fingers together.

"Cake now?" Eddie asked, hopefully.

"Kiddo, I like the way you think," Tony said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get this thing witnessed and filed and then start celebrating. Clint's putting together quite the spread, and pretty much everyone's dropping by, so I hope you guys are hungry and in the mood to be sociable."

"Sounds fun," Steve said. "Thanks for helping organize."

"And thank you again," Bucky said to Banner, shaking his hand. "We appreciate you taking the time."

"It was my pleasure," Banner replied. "Congratulations and I'm glad I could be a small part of your special day."

"Same here," Steve said, then wrapped his arm around Bucky's waist, and nuzzled Bucky's neck. "So," he murmured, "can I buy you a beer to celebrate?"

Bucky tilted his head to give Steve better access as he watched Tony and Eddie both carefully sign their names to the marriage license. "Sorry, but I'm a married man now. My bar-hopping days are over."

"Hmm, well –" Steve pressed a kiss to his jaw, and tightened his hold " – in that case, can I take you home?"

"Yeah, you know what, that sounds like a great idea," Bucky said, with a kiss to Steve's lips. He couldn't wait to leave the courthouse and start the rest of their lives together. "Let's go home."

***


	4. That Dweam Wifin A Dweam

Bucky Barnes was his husband.

James Buchanan Barnes was his _husband_.

Every single time Steve thought about it, he started grinning. Every time he glanced down and saw the ring on his finger, he wanted to laugh in sheer relieved happiness. He and Bucky were _married_. And Bucky – _Bucky_ – had been the one to ask.

And just knowing that Bucky was truly dedicated to their relationship, that he wanted this tangible, legal commitment binding them together, was the greatest gift Steve could ever ask for.

"You look pleased about something," Bucky said, coming to stand beside him. The were on the front porch, having just seen Eddie off with Nick and Maria for his sleepover with Peter, and he and Bucky were finally all alone. Newlyweds on their wedding night.

Smiling, Steve reached out for Bucky's left hand, and held it up to his chest, rubbing a thumb across smooth metal. His father's ring, finally finding a new home. He was pretty sure his smile was going to be a permanent fixture on his face. "I guess it's just sinking in is all," he said, quiet. The early evening stillness seemed to call for it. "This wasn't just a...I mean, you...you _chose_ me."

For some crazy reason, he couldn't get it out of his head. Even _after_ the proposal and the ceremony and the endless toasts and congratulations from all of their friends during the party in their backyard and a joyfully tearful Skype chat with Bucky's parents and sister, it hadn't quite seemed _real_ until just a few minutes ago. This wasn't a phase or experiment or something Bucky was working through – this was Bucky telling his friends and family and the whole world that he was choosing Steve to be his partner to share his life with. This was Bucky saying, _hey, this is it, I'm done looking, I don't want to be with anyone else, I want Steve and only Steve_. 

"You bet your ass I did," Bucky replied, with a smiling kiss to Steve's jaw. "And I'm going to keep choosing you. Every minute of every day, I'm going to choose you. That's what marriage is – I mean, that's what I think it should be."

Steve half-turned so they were facing each other. He studied Bucky's face – the heavy-lidded eyes, the sharp cheekbones and stubble accenting a sharper jaw, the dark hair spilling loose from its stubbed ponytail – and his throat closed. This impossibly beautiful, impossibly giving, impossibly sweet fucking man had upended his own life, his worldview, his very _sexuality_ , all because he wanted to be with Steve. Because he thought being with Steve was _worth_ it.

Even if Steve lived to be a hundred, he didn't think he'd ever be able to articulate how much that meant to him. 

"Me too," he answered, his throat tight. "Every minute of every day, I'll be choosing you right back." 

"Good." Those blue-grey eyes sought his as Bucky smiled again, wide and full. "C'mon, you look way too serious for a man on his wedding night."

"Yeah, sorry," Steve replied, tangling his fingers in Bucky's belt loops to pull them flush together. "Just thinking all kinds of sappy thoughts, I guess."

"I like sappy thoughts." Bucky looped his arms around Steve's neck and toyed with the hairs on Steve's nape. "Pretty sure those are the only kinds of thoughts you should have on your wedding day. Although I guess you'd know more about it than me."

Steve chuckled, amused. "Hey, I was 19 and the marriage barely lasted a year. This isn't even remotely the same thing."

"Better not be, because I'm planning on keeping you for a fuck of a lot longer than a year." 

Maybe it was the intimacy of the moment or the casual possession in Bucky's voice, or maybe just the thrill of finally being married to the love of his life, but Steve shivered as tendrils of want and need licked along his skin like wildfire. "Yeah, and how long's that?" he asked, in a husky voice.

"Eh, I figure the rest of our lives should do for a start," Bucky said, leaning in for a quick peck to Steve's lips.

 _The rest of our lives._ Steve was pretty sure several lifetimes wouldn't be enough to explore the depths of what he felt for Bucky, but he'd take it. "I like the sound of that," he murmured, and parted Bucky's lips with the next kiss, sought Bucky's taste on his tongue. A taste as familiar to him as breath, and one he knew he'd crave as long as he lived.

"Hey, so..." Bucky dove back in, nibbled on Steve's lower lip, then cocked in his head in the direction of the house. "You wanna maybe head inside and see if married sex is as good as unmarried sex?"

Sounded like the best idea on the planet as far as Steve was concerned. "I can't imagine how sex with you could possibly be better than it already is, but sure, I'm game."

"Yeah, that was pretty sappy," Bucky said, with a grin, then held out a hand. "C'mon. I've been dying to peel those damn pants off your thighs since you put 'em on this morning."

"You're one to talk," Steve said, happy to let Bucky lead him inside the darkened house and down the hallway into the bedroom, the only illumination the pale light of the moon through the half-opened blinds. "I'm surprised you weren't arrested at the courthouse for indecency for the way those jeans of yours are hugging your ass and hips."

Bucky flashed him a flirtatious smile as he turned around. "You sayin' you were checking out my ass all day, Rogers?"

"Every chance I could get." Steve filled his hands with said ass, pulled Bucky to him. It still amazed him, sometimes, just how easy everything was between them. How easily they'd transitioned from friends to lovers to living together and now marriage. A part of him kept thinking the other shoe was going to drop, that he hadn't done anything to _earn_ this, but maybe that wasn't the point. He was old enough and wise enough, he hoped, to know a good thing when he saw it. And from the moment he'd dropped back into Bucky Barnes' life, he knew there was nowhere else he'd rather be than by this man's side.

"I love you," he said, dropping light kisses to each of Bucky's eyelids, then to the tip of his nose, and finally to those full, pouty lips. "Thank you for making me the happiest man on earth."

"Pretty sure that's me, but I'm willing to share the title," Bucky replied, sliding his hands under Steve's shirt. "I love you, too, Steve. _Husband_."

"Husband," Steve repeated, and then they were kissing again, sweet and unhurried, hands roaming lightly over every inch of bared skin as they helped each other get undressed. Steve sank into every slide of their mouths together, every press of hands on sensitized flesh, all of it at once intimately familiar and achingly new, his skin buzzing at every point of contact.

He fell, naked, back on the bed, already reaching for Bucky, and Bucky wasted no time straddling his thighs, and leaning in for another series of languorous, honeyed kisses. By the time Bucky lifted his head, Steve's own was swimming, his body aching, and all he wanted was to make Bucky feel as good as he felt. He ran his hands along Bucky's back, mapped out firm muscle, smooth skin, as his teeth scraped along the hollow of Bucky's throat. He flicked his tongue out, tasting sweat and the clean tang under it that was all Bucky, and smiled when Bucky let out a low moan.

"Anything in particular you want right now?" he asked, shifting to bring their cocks into closer alignment. They had all night, a feast of hours stretching before them to taste and take and claim, and Steve wanted to make the most out of all of them. 

Above him, Bucky nodded, his hair escaping its ponytail holder to fall in his face. But Steve could just make out the start of a faint flush across the tops of his cheeks. "Yeah, actually. There's...something."

Steve waited a beat, but that seemed to be all Bucky was willing to say. "Well," he prompted, giving Bucky's hips a teasing squeeze. "You gonna make me guess?"

Bucky shook his head, then exhaled, blowing strands of hair out of the way. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and his lips were temptingly full and bruised. "I, uh..." He swallowed, then shrugged, helpless.

Steve lifted his head from the pillow, gaze searching, and soothed his hands along Bucky's thighs, bracketing his own. "C'mon, you can't get all shy on me now. Getting tongue-tied is my job," he said, and smiled in encouragement. "If you can't ask for what you want on your wedding night..."

"Iwantyoutofuckme."

Steve blinked as Bucky looked down at him, nervously biting down on his lower lip. "You...are you serious?" 

It wasn't that they'd _never_ done anything anal since they'd been together. Fingers and tongues, totally, that was something they both enjoyed giving and receiving. And Steve had bottomed for Bucky a couple of times – but only after specifically _asking_ for it, because he'd wanted Bucky's cock inside him, owning him in the most basic and elemental of ways. But he'd never asked or even hinted about Bucky reciprocating, never even thought about it. He knew Bucky was fully committed to being with him, that Bucky _knew_ who he was with, so whatever it was they did in bed together was incidental. As long as he and Bucky both had a good time, that was the important thing.

Bucky nodded, and let out another slow breath. His cheeks were still flushed, but fainter now. "Yeah, I've been...thinking about it," he said, glancing down between them at Steve's cock, then back up to Steve's face. "What it would feel like. And, I mean, your tongue's been all up in there, so I figure the least I can do is see if I like your dick just as much."

Steve let out a surprised burst of laughter, his heart overflowing with that same mixture of love and affection and amusement he always felt when he was around Bucky. "The least you can do, huh?"

"Shut up." Bucky smacked at his chest and ducked his head. "It's not like there's a romantic way to ask someone to stick their dick up your ass."

Steve honestly hadn't thought it was possible to love Bucky more, yet here they were. "C'mere," he urged, and wrapped a hand around Bucky's nape to pull him down for a soft, slow kiss. Bucky yielded instantly, fully offered himself to the slide of Steve's tongue, and it was a long few minutes before Steve was able to tear himself away.

"You sure?" he asked, searching Bucky's face for any hesitation or doubt.

"I'm sure," Bucky said, and shrugged. "I mean, I sort of feel like a clichéd Victorian maiden right now, getting deflowered on my wedding night, but I dunno, I kinda dig the symbolism of it."

Bucky was utterly ridiculous – and Steve was so enamored he didn't know what to do with himself. "Deflowering? _That's_ your idea of romance?"

Bucky shook his head, then fixed Steve with a calculating look. He shifted, settled his thighs more comfortably against Steve's own, then placed his hands on Steve's chest and started dragging them slowly down. Parted the hairs on Steve's chest, nails scraping along his ribs and abdomen, thumbs trailing though the treasure trail that led to the heavy, hard length of Steve's cock. When he got to it, he stopped, his gaze half-lidded and wanting, and Steve's breath caught and held as he waited. Bucky let his gaze roam then, heated, _knowing_ , and traced the tip of his finger along the vein that ran down the underside. The touch was so light Steve could barely feel it, but he trembled all the same, quivered and ached, undone by just that tiny point of contact. 

"I love you," Bucky said, and smiled. His bright, slightly mischievous, slightly goofy smile, the one Steve had fallen in love with pretty much at first sight. "I'm utterly and stupidly and irrevocably in love with you. You're my best friend and my partner and I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and the next day and all the days after that with you, knowing that we're a team."

Steve felt like he was going to burst apart at the seams at any second. "Buck," he whispered, but Bucky just shook his head once, quickly; he wasn't finished. 

"And I love that there's something of me I can give you that no one else will ever get. I _want_ this," Bucky said, running his finger along Steve's length again, his meaning unmistakable. "I want to feel you inside me, and to know that you're the only person I want to be like this with."

He was totally going to die of heart failure. But, fuck, the way Bucky was looking at him right now, with Bucky's words echoing in his ears and settling deep inside him, he didn't even care. "I love you so much, Buck," he said, his voice cracking; he was trembling again, overwhelmed. "So much."

Bucky ducked down, kissed Steve slow and deep and perfect, then smirked at him when they parted. "Romantic enough for you?" he asked, and Steve just laughed into the next kiss.

"Yeah," he said, wrapping his arms around Bucky's back. "It was perfect."

"Does that mean yes or...?"

"Yes, _fuck_ yes." Steve rolled them over, settled between the vee of Bucky's thighs. "Lie back and relax, okay," he said, pressing open-mouthed kisses to Bucky's jaw and throat. "Let me make you feel good."

"Not...gonna be a prob-yeah, yeah, okay," Bucky sighed, clasping tight to Steve's back as Steve raked his teeth along Bucky's pulse.

"I've never been anyone's first before," Steve murmured, then laved his tongue along the hollow of Bucky's throat. He glanced up, met those beautiful blue eyes, and hoped Bucky could see just how humbled and grateful he was, how much he cherished this gift Bucky was giving him. "I wanna make it perfect for you."

Bucky smiled and raised his head, hair loose and falling across the pillows underneath. "It's already perfect," he said, as his fingers danced a path along the tattoo stretching across Steve's back. "It's perfect because it's you. It's _us_." And then he claimed Steve's lips in a heated kiss that stole the breath from Steve's lungs and every thought from his head.

The world outside fell away, leaving just the two of them, lost in each other, safe in the bubble of heat and want they'd created. They kissed over and over, discovering new angles, slow then frantic then slowing back down again when they could feel themselves tipping over the point of no return. Steve gave himself over entirely to Bucky: the rough drag of his lips, the smoothness of his skin as he moved down, mapped Bucky's body by taste and touch. The small, contented noises Bucky made whenever Steve touched on a sensitive area, his soft moans of encouragement when Steve took him deep, used his mouth and tongue to drive Bucky right to the edge over and over until Bucky was desperate underneath him, Steve's name a broken sigh, a fervent plea.

He took his time with his fingers, constantly looking up to watch Bucky's face as he slid one inside, then two. And every time, Bucky was watching right back, with bright eyes hazed over in want, with soft, clumsy touches to Steve's hair and neck and shoulders. Encouraging him for more and more still. By the time Steve slicked his cock and was kneeling between Bucky's legs, ready, _desperate_ , he was shaking so hard he thought he might fall apart.

And Bucky, his friend, lover, partner, _husband_ , put his hand over Steve's and guided him forward. Guided him home with a private, small smile and a quiet _I love you so much, I'm here, I want this_ spilling from those perfect lips.

Steve stopped, stilled, the second he was buried as deep as he could go, the two of them connected so seamlessly he couldn't begin to tell them apart. The moonlight shining in through the blinds turned all the colors shades of silver, made Bucky's skin look otherworldly, ethereal. But the heart beating against his own was solid, steady, the arms around him strong and secure, and when their lips met again as Steve started to move, Steve swore he could see the entire universe in Bucky's gaze.

It was only after, when they were lying curled together, that Steve was able to find his voice again. Bucky was draped along Steve's side, one leg thrown over his own to hold him in place, head tucked in the crook of his neck. His fingers were lightly making abstract patterns along Steve's chest, the colorful swirls of Bucky's tattoos clearly visible, even in the shadowed light. Steve nuzzled a kiss into his hair, tried to pull him even closer, even though they were already as close as they were going to get. "Thank you," he softly said.

Bucky lifted his head to give him a quizzical look. "What for? Should be me thanking you, I think."

Steve let out a quiet laugh. He hoped that there would never come a day when Bucky stopped surprising him. "Trusting me, I guess?"

"Of course I trust you." Bucky flattened his hand on Steve's chest, his wedding ring resting right over Steve's heart, the gold a polished gleam against his skin. "Wouldn't have married you if I didn't."

"Good point," he conceded, and lifted his own head for a kiss. "You feeling okay? I wasn't too –"

"You were fucking perfect and I wouldn't change a thing and I will be happy to do it again," Bucky interrupted, with a teasing, sweet smile. "I'd also be willing to lay down a bet that it was the best deflowering anyone's ever had ever."

"Oh my _God_..."

"And _there's_ my blush," Bucky said, clearly delighted, as he kissed one of Steve's flaming cheeks. 

"Remind me why I fell in love with you again," Steve grumbled, turning his head so he could get at Bucky's lips.

Bucky let out a satisfied sigh when they parted, and settled his head back on Steve's shoulder. "I have no idea," he said, sounding pleased and awed in equal measure, "but I'm glad you did. And even more glad I fell in love right back."

Tears prickled at the corners of Steve's eyes as he rested his cheek against Bucky's hair. "Me too, Buck," he said, content, and so in love there weren't even words for it. "Me too."

***

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Steph for the beta!
> 
> You can now find me on [Tumblr](http://brendaonao3.tumblr.com). :)


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